James R. Skirbunt, born Cleveland, Ohio, December 15, 1949; admitted to bar, 1974, Ohio; 1975, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio. Education: Georgetown University (B.S.F.S., 1971); Boston College(J.D., 1974). Contributing Author: "The Power of the Professional," CWRU Center for Professional Ethics, 1988. Frequent lecturer regarding divorce, business valuation, taxation, pensions in divorce and interest based negotiation techniques. Listed in "The Best Lawyers in America" and "Ohio Super Lawyers," American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (President, Ohio Chapter, 1992). Founding President and Member, Center for Principled Family Advocacy (President, 1999). Special Master and Facilitator for common pleas courts. Member: Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association (Family Law Section):  former Cleveland Bar Association (Chair, Family Law Section, 1987); former Cuyahoga County Bar  Association (Chair, Family Law Section, 1986); and, Ohio State Bar Association. Reported Cases: Powe v. Powe, 38 Ohio Misc. 2d 5,525 N.E. 2d 845. Practice Areas: Family Law; Divorce Law; Custody Law; Contract Negotiations; Alternative Dispute Resolution, including Collaborative Divorce, Cooperative Divorce, Mediation and Arbitration.

"I like to think that the distinctive competence of the firm is our ability to find creative solutions to problems.  Almost all of these matters settle and we have the experience to provide clients with structures for settlement that are simply not available from the court as the result of a contested trial. We emphasize processes that are alternative to litigation because we believe that these processes provide real results for clients and avoid the economic and non-economic costs of divorce. As the founder of the Center for Principled Family Advocacy, I know that there is no single process that is the right fit for every family.  We have expertise in all of the processes alternative to litigation:  Collaborative Divorce; Cooperative Divorce; Mediation and Arbitration.  The selection of process may be the most important choice to be made after you decide to terminate the marriage.  We can identify all of your options so that the choice you make as to how your case proceeds reflects your goals and interests.  Of course, there are cases that require litigation as the process.  We have the trial experience to obtain results for our clients in that venue as well.  We understand the language of business valuation and, as a result, can effectively cross-examine valuation experts.  In addition, we have been a leader in electronic discovery in divorce court so that we can successfully obtain documents and information that a spouse may try to conceal.  I have served as a Special Master and Facilitator in numerous cases and I understand the perspective from the bench.  All of this brings a practical and results-oriented approach to our litigation philosophy. Come in and meet with us.  I think that you will find that we have the background and experience to move you and  your family through this experience with your dignity in tact."   

Sharon A. Skirbunt, born in Cleveland, Ohio, March 22, 1954; admitted to Ohio Bar, 1986.  Education: Kent State University (B.S., summa cum laude, 1975); Case Western Reserve University (J.D., 1986). Sharon was one of the first in Ohio to receive certification in Mediation, having been certified by the Academy of Family Mediators in 1992 as a Business, Family and Divorce Mediator. Sharon has been published in the "Probate Law Journal of Ohio," with her article, The Perils of Estate Planning and Divorce, which deals with the interaction between divorce and estate planning considerations.  Sharon is also a Contributing Author: "Modification of Parental Rights and Responsibilities," Chapter 16,Banks Baldwin, Ohio Domestic Relations Law; "Custody" and "Litigating the Enforceability of Pre-Marital Agreements," Chapters 1 and 2, Family Law Litigation in Ohio.  Further, Sharon has lectured extensively to both attorneys and non-attorneys: "Drafting and Enforcing Pre-Marital Agreements," former Cuyahoga County Bar Association, Domestic Relations Trial Advocacy Institute; "Domestic Relations Litigation," National Business Institute; "Estate Planning for Qualified Retirement Plans," former Cleveland Bar Association, Estate Planning and Probate Section; "Understanding the Estate Planning Process," Northeast Ohio Elder Law Program, Inc., Lake County Council on Aging, Lakeland Community College, Merrill Lynch; "Understanding the Divorce Process," Dean Witter. Sharon is an Inaugural Member of the Center for Principled Family Advocacy. She is also a Member of: Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association (Estate Planning and Probate Section,  Family Law Section); former Cuyahoga County Bar Association (Chair, Family Law Section, 1994); Ohio State and American Bar Associations (Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section).  Practice Areas: Family Law; Estate Planning; Pre-Marital Agreements; Appellate Practice; Mediation and other Alternative Dispute Resolution Processes.

"If a family member or friend presented with the possibility of a termination of his or her marriage, the first thing I would tell that person is that the selection of a divorce attorney is as important as the selection of a highly skilled surgeon who has the ability to remove or repair the damages areas while preserving the surrounding tissue.  I would also tell him or her that the single, most important question to ask the prospective attorney during the initial consultation is, 'What is your practice philosophy?'  This is because the attorney's practice philosophy will have a direct bearing upon how the entire case is handled throughout the process, a direct bearing upon how the court perceives the client as a litigant, litigation that come to pass, and a direct bearing upon what type of relationship the client will have with his or her ex-spouse and children long after the divorce has ended. Our goal in every case is to get all of our clients through this process with their dignity intact."